Kremlin: Russia, US Postpone Summit at French Request

French President Emmanuel Macron visits the Ossuary of Douaumont near Verdun, Nov. 6, 2018, marking the centenary WW1's end.

Share

Kremlin: Russia, US Postpone Summit at French Request

share

MOSCOW —

The Kremlin said Wednesday Russia and the United States have agreed not to hold a summit in Paris to avoid diverting attention from weekend commemorations marking the 100th anniversary of World War I's end.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump expect to see each other briefly but won't have a full-scale meeting during the centenary Armistice Day events, Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov said.

Ushakov said France conveyed concern that a Putin-Trump summit would steal the limelight from the Paris observances. Officials from the U.S. and Russia decided to delay the meeting until the end of the month, when both leaders expect to attend a Group of 20 summit in Argentina.

Trump said Monday he "probably" would not be meeting with Putin in Paris, but will meet with him during the G-20.

When U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton visited Moscow last month, he and Russian officials also talked about the presidents visiting each other's countries, according to Ushakov.

"A possible exchange of visits to Moscow and Washington was discussed, but there was no specific talk about the issue yet," he added.

Bolton said last month that Putin was invited to visit Washington next year, but a date had not been set.